Bib apron



E; N. HUDSON May 25, 1948.

BIB-APRON Filed Aug. 25, 1945 .INVENTOR. E5 zher N Hudson Patented May 25, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BIB AIRON Esther N. Hudson, Denver, 0010.

Application August 25, 1945, Serial No. 612,625

2 Claims.

This invention relates to protective garments, primarily for infants and small children, designed for wear over normal garb to safeguard and protect the latter during feeding, certain aspects of play, and like periods of particular soilage hazard, and has as an object to provide an improved such garment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved protective garment of bib-apron type designed to entrap and retain spillage otherwise productive of soilage and litter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved protective garment of bib-apron type adapted for rapid, convenient, and secure adjustment into positions of use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved protective garment of bib-apron type having a lower marginal pocket inherently maintained open in position for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved protective garment of bib-apron type susceptible of rapid and convenient cleaning when soiled.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved protective garment of bib-apron type that furnishes a maximum of protective cover with a minimum of material and inconvenience to the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and interrelation of elements constituting a protective garment of bib-apron type.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bib-apron type protective garment that is simple of manufacture, economical of material, efiicient in use,'and susceptible of practical development in a variety of convenient sizes from any of many suitable materials and an infinity of material patterns.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction. arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- 4 Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved garment as typically mounted and arranged for practical wear. Figure 2 is a three-quarters rear elevation of the garment mounted as nown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the dismounted garment as developed on the plane of its major element. Figure 4 is a fragmentary, detail section, on a further enlarged scale, taken substantially on the indicated line 4-4 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a fragmentary,

detail view of the pocket-forming element of the garment assembly prior to its incorporation into the completed garment.

In the construction of the improved garment as shown, the numeral Ill designates the major element of the garment wherewith the other garment elements are associated to give effect to the novel concept and principles of the invention; said element I8 being a substantially circular disc of suitable flexible material, such as fabric, coated or uncoated, sheet rubber, and the like, of a size suited to the age or size of the wearer or group for which the finished garment is intended. At any selected point on its peripheral margin, the element ill is intersected by an outwardly opening notch ll sized and contoured to closely receive and. partially embrace the neck of a wearer, and at a suitable distance from said notch II, and on each side thereof, a substantially radial slit l2 intersects the element l8 and extends inwardly from the intersected margin thereof towards, but not entirely to, the said element center. As shown in the drawing and above described, the slits l2 converge from opposite sides of the notch ll inwardly of the element Ill and are spaced apart at their inner ends by an area of uncut material disposed slightly above the center of the element ii] to lie directly below the notch II when the arment is mounted for ear, the thus-formed wings of the element Ill defined between each slit l2 and the notch ll being hence adapted and arranged to overlie and protectively cover forward shoulder portions of the wearer in the manner illustrated by Figure 1 of the drawing.

Stitched or otherwise fixedly secured along its opposed margins to inner margin portions of each slit l2 in the manner shown in Figure 3, a rolled gusset piece 13 closes over and bridges across the slit inner end with a fullness outstanding from the element 1G surface which permits wide separation of the slit margins. Each gusset piece I3 is so shaped as to marginally register with and extend along almost the entire length of the associated slit margin nearest the notch ii, to marginally register with and extend along somewhat less than the inner half length of the slit margin remote from said notch. and to close in secured relation with the element i5 across the inner slit end while outstanding from the element Iii surface as a substantially conical roll whereof the free margin has a length sufficient to bridge between the slit margins when the latter are widely separated and to guard the upper arm of the wearer when the garment is in use. The gusset piece margins are secured to the associated slit margins by means of superposed, lapped seams wherein the gusset piece and element I I] face surfaces are adjoined to dispose the gusset piece fullness as a roll outstanding from the element I and. thereby provide a ridge or rib projecting from the surface of the element I 0 along each slit I 2 margin adjacent the notch I I, which ridges or ribs converge downwardly and centrally of the element" III} when' the garment is in 'position of wear and operate to direct spillage impinging on the element I 0 upper portion inwardlyand downwardly of said element with protective effect on the apparel wherever the improved garment is mounted. v

To form a spillage collecting'andretaining pocket on and in operative relationwith the improved garment, a straight strip Id, of suitable flexible sheet material the same as or diiferent from that of the element III, and of suitable length 'and "width;': is s'tifiened and reinforced i along oneiong margin; as by means of ahem,

fold, roll, or cord I5, is"arcuately 'tapered'at' its ends toi'symmetrically shorten its non reinforced 1 *long I margin-'frelative' to "thereinforced long-mar- "securethe' garment"in"place. A tape loop may be fixed to the garment margin opposite the notch II to provide convenient means for 1suspending the garment in inverted position from a support for drying, storage, and the like.

The-improved garment, constructed and arrangedas shown and above described, is a facility of great practical advantage and utility and is particularly noteworthy in respect of the ease and security of its attachment to a wearer, the

- ever-gaping character of the collecting pocket, and the unique protection deriving from the form, arrangement and operative mounting-of the-gusset-pieces.

Sincemany changes in the specific form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had withoutdepart- -ing from the spirit of my invention, I wishto be understood as being limited solely -bythe scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the-illustrative showing and-foregoing description.

- I claim asmyinvention:

1. A protective garment oiv the character-described, comprising a' substantially circular base element of flexible'sheet material formed with a "marginally-opening, neck-receiving notch, an upwardly and outwardly openin pocket 'marginally of said'base'element oppositesaidnotch, 40 a radial slit inwardly intersecting said-base element between 'saidnotch and eachendof" said pocket, approximately triangular 'gusset'pieces secured marginally along and in"'outwa'rdlyrolled, covering relation with inner'porti'ons of said"slit's for extension'as maintained inwardlyconverging "projections-beyond the base element "surface to bridge the slit'inner po'rtions'in all slit expansions of garment use; and-means for "securing said" base =-elem'ent'to-the'body of a wearer with the wearersarms accommodated gin',-'leaving the latter straight throughout-the fullextent ofitslength', and is stitched: or-otherwise fixedlysecured-to the element 1 I] by interi -"connecti'on' of its"non'reinforced, end-tapered m'argin'in-superpos'ed,marginal registration with 'the circular margin of said' element -'I I); in -"=the manner and arrangeme'nt shown in "Figure 3. For considerations of practical use; economy; and convenience it" is"ex'pedienttoform-the strip I4 f from alen'gth of material of double-ultimate strip width folded longitudinally and stitched along a cord I5; in themannerindicated in'Fig- 'ures 4 and 5. "'The'strip' -I I' is symmetrically arianged margin'allybf the element- I0 with-rela- --tion 'to' the 'element'diameter bisecting the'notch I I and supplements somewhat mcrethan the "lower circular half of=said element-the ends of '-':said strip merging with the element circular out- "line at points unifoirmly distant from the slit I2 intersections with theelement-periphery. *Due to 'its' conformation and' theregistration'of one I of its straight;1ongmar'gins with'the circular elennent outline} the strip" Mdefine's 'apocket where- W of'the free margin is'at all times urged bythe stiffness of strip material and the said margin element I 0* surface, thereby establishing I and maintaining "an open"*'recess"positioned "'to receive, 'collect'fiand retain"crumbs;"liquids,"and the like, engaging against any'porti'on'ofthe l elem'ent' I 0 as" normally" worn," 'the' converging through said slits.

2. A protective garment of thecharactenda scribed; comprising a substantiallycircular base 1 element of flexible 'sheet' material formed with a marginally 'opening, neck-receiving "notch,

"selectively-connectible 'flexible' ties associated withtheopposite-cornersofsaid notch, inweirdly-converging slits marginally intersecting said base element on'oppo'site sides of anduniforn'ily-spacecl from said notch, approximately triangular gusset pieces secured marginally alongand in outwardly-rolled, coverin relation withinnerportions o'fsaid slits for extension as maintained inwardly-converging projections beyond the base element surface to bridge theslit inner portions in all slit expansionsof garment i use, flexible straps-interconnecting the outer slit cornersremote from saidnotch withthe adjacent'notch corner tie in free spanning relation 1 with the base element margin between each' slit -and-said notch, and a=pocket marginally of said -=base element opposite and opening toward said notch.

'gusset piece I 3 projections functioning to direct spillage against the element I 0 'u'p'pe'r wings to and for'collection'with said'pocket.

All freema'rgins'ofthelement lib-notch II, slits I2,'and'gusset'pieces I3 mayibe tape-finisheda'nd bound, if'desired, orsome oriall of '"said margins, particularly those of the element IE-upper wings;"slits' I2,and'=gu'sset 'pieces I3, may be left unbound'and'pinked; as is common practice, both' such meth'ods of margin finish being typified in the drawings. -As a prac'ticable matter, 1 and to facilitate the provision" of garment mounting and securing means', it is desirable to bind the major arco'f the element "I0be tween the Slits l2 with a tapIB and to'bind the margin'ofthe' notch I I with a tape I I, in which event end portions I 8 of the tape I 6 'may be extended past the element I fl upper wings to permanent connection with "portions 'o'f the tape ESTHER N-. HUDSON.

5 REFERENCES CITED gg g The following references are of record in the 1,488Z635 file of this patent: 1,963,130 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 104,490

Number Name Date 114,366 Thomson May 2, 18 1 Number 352,471 Logan NOV. 9, 1886 1,008

Name Date Spies Feb. 22, 1887 Flannery Apr. 1, 1924 Hall June 19, 1934 Anderson May 11, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 22, 1886 

